math problem i need help

Question

You lean a 14-foot ladder against the wall. If the base of the ladder is 8 feet from the wall, what is the measure of the angle of elevation formed by the base of the ladder and the floor? 

Answer 1

Hi Zay,

First of all, you make a right triangle the hypotenuses is the ladder 14 feet and the horizontal side of this right triangle is 8 feet ( the distance between ladder and wall)

for finding the angle Watch the right triangle you need to use of definition of cosine because you have HYP and ADJ

cos (a) = 8/14 = 4/7 use calculator a = 55.15 degree

I hope it is useful,

Minoo

Answer 2

The consine of an angle is determined by the proportion of a triangle's adjacent side divided by the hypotenuse. As such:

cos^-1 θ = (8/14) ==> θ ≈ 55.15°